December in Florence

 The city is alight with holiday festivities, twinkling lights and beautiful window displays, making it a December destination. The holiday month is one of the most special times of year to visit Florence. Not only do you get to experience the freshest olive oil, truffles and mushrooms that were produced in November, but you are in one of the most beautiful cities in the world for gorgeous holiday celebrations, beautiful lights and exciting festivities.

The weather in Florence is normally between 45-55 degrees (F) for the highs, which makes it perfect for bundling up and spending the day Christmas shopping through Florence’s historic city center. Florence shopping is among some of the best in the world for both designer designs and for personal, hand-crafted local goods. Not to mention, it’s not a bad place to stop for lunch and enjoy a warm risotto, or a nice hot chocolate in the afternoon.

The festivals throughout December start with the children’s festival, Florence Noel, which celebrates Babbo Natale (Father Christmas), and includes a holiday village, food and music. READ MORE...

Train service from Rome to Florence

The logistics of traveling can sometimes be daunting for the new traveler. However, getting from town to town in Italy is very easy by simply using the train system. From Rome, the easiest way to get to Florence is by taking the Leonardo Da Vinci express from Rome Fumincino Airport to Rome Termini Station. Once at Termini there are many trains with service to Florence. The main station in Florence is "Santa Maria Novella". The fast trains on the Eurostar run almost every hour and take approximately 1 1/2 hours. They cost between 40-50 Euros. For Eurostar tickets you have assigned seating and a specific departure time.

If you prefer to stay on a budget, there are several Regional trains from Rome to Florence that stop frequently throughout Tuscany. Read more here...

Tuscany Hot Springs - Winter Day Trips from Florence

There are thousands of day trips to take from Florence throughout Tuscany and even into other regions. There are countless ways to spend your day from antiques shopping in Lucca, to bike trips to Prato. However, there’s one trip that has this writer particularly excited to try out.

When you first think of Tuscany, my guess is that you think of wines like Chianti and Brunello, wonderful foods, and Renaissance cities like Florence and Siena. That’s what I always thought about. But what you may not realize is that Tuscany is a fantastic area to visit natural, hot springs and spas. Yes, please!

Southern Tuscany, in particular, has many natural hot springs where you can go and relax at any time of year. Some of the areas to explore here are Monte Amiata, Maremma, Saturnia, Petriolo, Venturina and San Filippo to name a few. From natural springs, to modern hotels with pools where they bring in the hot springs water, this fantastic experience can be suited to your particular taste.

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